Ditch your Northern Ireland backstop demands or we won’t agree to extend the Brexit transition period, Dominic Raab tells EU
- Brexit secretary told Brussels ‘ditch the backstop or forget an extension period’
- Rabb said extension would only become alternative to the EU’s insurance policy
- Theresa May faced fierce backlash across Tory party for floating idea of delaying Britain’s divorce from EU
Dominic Rabb has told the EU to ditch its demands for a backstop in Northern Ireland or forget an extension to the Brexit transition period
Dominic Rabb has told the EU to ditch its demands for a backstop in Northern Ireland or forget an extension to the Brexit transition period.
The Brexit Secretary said the extension – which would see Britain tied to Brussels beyond December 2020 – would only be an alternative to the EU’s insurance policy.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he said: ‘The Prime Minister has rightly refused to rule out considering different approaches, including extending the implementation period for a limited period of a few months, as an alternative to the backstop.’
Talks have stalled over a disagreement over the backstop – an insurance policy to ensure there will be no return to a hard border in Ireland, a former focal point for sectarian tensions – if a future trading relationship is not in place in time.
But so far the European Union has said the backstop of Ireland must remain in place to proceed with the divorce negotiations.
Raab’s threats come after Theresa May faced a fierce backlash across the Tory party for floating the idea of extending the transition period.
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Former party leader Iain Duncan Smith said such a move would see the UK paying ‘tens of billions of pounds’ extra to the EU.
Mrs May has suggested delaying the UK’s final departure from the EU’s until 2021 in a last ditch bid to end the deadlock over the border issue.
The EU Commission President said the longer transition period was on offer to Britain to help deliver a free trade deal.
Mrs May has suggested delaying the UK’s final departure from the EU’s until 2021 in a last ditch bid to end the deadlock over the border issue
Mr Juncker said it was ‘a good idea’ and added ‘this prolongation of the transition period probably will happen.’
Theresa May insisted at the end of the latest summit failure Britain was not asking for a longer transition after Brexit day in March but admitted there could be a mechanism to extend it for a few months.
Endorsing the plan saw new calls for Mrs May to quit, with critics branding the idea ‘mad’ amid claims it could cost Britain an extra £15billion in EU subscription fees.
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